document_title: Stone Temple Pilots

question_text: who is singing for the stone temple pilots

text: Stone Temple Pilots

text: History

text: 1985–1992: Formation and early years as Mighty Joe Young

text: Two conflicting stories of how frontman Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo met have been described by the band; one was that Weiland and DeLeo met at a Black Flag concert in Long Beach, California in 1985. They began discussing their girlfriends, only to realize they were dating the same woman. However, instead of letting this come between them, they developed a bond and formed a band after they each subsequently broke it off with the girl. Weiland presented a different version of meeting Robert in his autobiography, stating that Weiland and his friends—guitarist Corey Hicock and drummer David Allin—pursued Robert after witnessing him play live with him sitting in during sets at various gigs with their band Soi Disant.

text: However, after a few years Allin went his separate way pursuing other interests. The remaining members witnessed drummer Eric Kretz play in a Long Beach club and convinced him to join the band. Guitarist Hicock eventually left the band in 1989; in need of a replacement and auditioning many guitarists, Robert suggested his older brother, Dean. At the time, Dean was a successful businessman who had left behind his previous career as a musician, but still played guitar as a hobby. The band managed to convince Dean to play guitar for Swing, completing the original STP lineup. Dean reportedly refused to continue playing in a band called "Swing," [11] and shortly afterwards the band became Mighty Joe Young. The band recorded a demo tape that was completed around 1990. The Mighty Joe Young demo features tracks that would go on to be re-recorded for the band's first studio album, as well as some musical styles that would not be featured on any of STP's studio albums, such as funk and yodeling.[12]

text: Mighty Joe Young played several gigs in the San Diego area, building up a fanbase.[11] Their first show was supporting Henry Rollins at the Whisky a Go Go. The group then began to work on their debut album with Brendan O'Brien. During the recording, they received a call from their lawyer who informed them that there was a bluesman who had already claimed the name Mighty Joe Young.[13] Inspired by the STP Motor Oil stickers that the band members were fans of in their youth, various ideas on the initials "STP" were shared by the band, including "Shirley Temple's Pussy" and Stereo Temple Pirates. They eventually settled on the name "Stone Temple Pilots."

text: 1992–1995: Core and Purple

text: Stone Temple Pilots developed a fan base in San Diego clubs. In 1992, Stone Temple Pilots signed with Atlantic Records. Their first album, Core, was released on September 29, 1992, and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Albums Chart. Core was a big success, producing hits "Sex Type Thing," "Plush," "Creep", and "Wicked Garden." While the album was a major commercial success, some[who?] in the music press criticized the band as "grunge imitators." The same year, Scott Weiland and Dean DeLeo played an acoustic version of "Plush" on the MTV show "Headbanger's Ball." This is considered one of Weiland's greatest vocal performances.[14][15]

text: Despite hostile reviews from some critics, Stone Temple Pilots continued to gain fans. They toured for four weeks, opening for bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Megadeth. 1993 brought continued success on the road, with the band headlining a two-and-a-half-month American tour, often performing at benefits for pro-choice organizations.

text: In 1993, the band filmed an episode of MTV Unplugged, where they debuted the song "Big Empty." In a January 1994 Rolling Stone poll, the band was simultaneously voted Best New Band by Rolling Stone's readers and Worst New Band by the magazine's music critics. The following month the group won Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist and Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist at the American Music Awards. In March 1994, the group won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for the song "Plush".[16]

text: In the spring of 1994, Stone Temple Pilots returned to the studio to work on their second album, Purple. Completed in less than a month, Purple debuted at number one in the United States upon its release on June 7, 1994. The radio-friendly "Interstate Love Song" quickly became a big hit, spending a record-setting fifteen weeks atop the album rock tracks chart. Other hits from the album included "Vasoline" and "Big Empty" (the latter also being featured on the soundtrack to the film The Crow). By October, just four months after its release, Purple had sold three million copies.

text: 1995–2002: Tiny Music, No. 4, and Shangri-La Dee Da

text: In October 1995, the band regrouped to begin recording its third album, renting out a mansion in Santa Barbara, California for the band to live together during the recording process.[17] Stone Temple Pilots released the album Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, on March 5, 1996. The album's sound marked a drastic change from their previous outings, oriented more in the direction of glam rock and psychedelic music than that of the hard rock/grunge sound that propelled them to popularity; critical reception, at the time, was mixed.[18][19][20] Rolling Stone, a magazine known for its initial dismissal of the band's music, held a favorable opinion of the album, regarding the release as the group's best effort to date. They expressed surprise, however, at "the clattering, upbeat character of the music" given Weiland's much-publicized run-ins with drugs and the law. Stone Temple Pilots were also featured on the cover of issue No. 753 in February 1997.[21]

text: The band was only partially successful in being able to tour in support of Tiny Music... and pulled out of a support slot on Kiss' reunion tour. A short tour in the fall of 1996 ensued in the U.S. but final dates at the end of December in Hawaii and some dates in 1997 had to be cancelled in order for Weiland to go to rehab. The band then decided to take a break to work on other projects. "I can't call the kettle black," remarked Kiss drummer Peter Criss. "I just pray for the guy and hope that he gets himself better because they really are a great band."[22]

text: The band, sans Weiland, recruited Dave Coutts, the frontman of Ten Inch Men, and performed under the moniker Talk Show. Talk Show released one eponymous album in 1997 before dissolving. Meanwhile, pursuing his own musical interests, Weiland released his first solo album, 12 Bar Blues, in 1998. Although both albums received moderate critical praise,[23][24] neither was commercially successful.

text: In late 1998, the band regrouped and began work on a fourth Stone Temple Pilots album.[11] Released in 1999, No. 4 was conceived as a "back-to-basics" rock album in the vein of Core or Purple. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic compared the album's sound to contemporary alternative metal bands and wrote in his review "it's as if STP decided to compete directly with the new generation of alt-metal bands who prize aggression over hooks or riffs."[25] STP scored one of its biggest hits since the success of Core and Purple with the single "Sour Girl", fueled by a popular music video starring Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. The band also recorded an episode of VH1 Storytellers, and went on a summer tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.[11] No. 4 would eventually be certified platinum by the RIAA.

text: During the summer of 2001, the band released its fifth album, Shangri-La Dee Da, which produced one modest rock radio hit in "Days of the Week." Despite promotion of the album by going on tour with Linkin Park and Godsmack on the Family Values Tour, Shangri-La Dee Da was a commercial disappointment. At that point, marketing support from their label was reportedly minimal, and the band decided to put a hold on any future albums. However, the band recorded "All in the Suit That You Wear," a song intended to be the lead single on the soundtrack for the 2002 film Spider-Man. However, Chad Kroeger's song "Hero" was ultimately chosen as the lead single.

text: 2002–2008: Separation and members' other projects

text: Despite reports that the band had begun work on a sixth studio album in 2002, the band had dissolved by the end of that year,[26] after reports of an altercation between Dean DeLeo and Weiland after the last show of Stone Temple Pilots' fall 2002 tour.[27] As a capstone to the band's career, Atlantic Records released a greatest hits album, Thank You, with a bonus DVD of archive material and music videos, in 2003.

text: Following the band's dissolution, Weiland was recruited to join the successful supergroup Velvet Revolver with Guns N' Roses members Slash (guitar), Matt Sorum (drums), and Duff McKagan (bass) and former Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner. The band released two albums, Contraband in 2004 and Libertad in 2007 before breaking up in 2008. Likewise, the DeLeo brothers formed the supergroup Army of Anyone with vocalist Richard Patrick of the industrial rock band Filter and session drummer Ray Luzier. The band released its self-titled in 2006 before going on "indefinite hiatus" in 2007. Eric Kretz kept a lower profile during this time, operating his own studio, Bomb Shelter Studios, and drumming for the band Spiralarms.

text: 2008–2011: Reunion and self-titled album

text: According to Dean DeLeo, steps toward a Stone Temple Pilots reformation started with a phone call from Weiland's wife, Mary Forsberg. She invited the DeLeo brothers to play at a private beach party, which led to the reconciliation of Weiland and the DeLeo brothers.[28] In 2007, Dean DeLeo and Weiland discussed a concert promoter's offer to headline several summer festivals. Weiland subsequently left Velvet Revolver in April 2008 and the following month, Stone Temple Pilots announced they were reuniting for a 65-date North American tour. The group officially reunited for a private gig at the Houdini Mansion and held their first public show on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 1. Stone Temple Pilots toured throughout the summer and fall, headlining the Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore on August of that year as well as the 10th annual Voodoo Experience in New Orleans. The band's six-month reunion tour wrapped up on Halloween 2008 in Pelham, Alabama.

text: After taking a short break to allow Scott to support his recently released second solo album, production for the band's sixth studio album began in mid-2009.The band also went on the road for a 13-date North American summer tour in 2009, taking place in-between the tours for Scott Weiland's second solo album. .[29] The band showcased new material at South by Southwest in 2010,[30][31] and also appeared at England's Download Festival 2010 in June,[32][33] as well as at the Hurricane Festival and the Southside Festival in Germany.[34] The band also performed during the Final Four Concert Series in Indianapolis on April 2, 2010. The band appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman for the first time in ten years on May 19, performing "Between the Lines".[35] The band's self-titled sixth album was released on May 25, 2010,[36] debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

text: Towards the end of 2010, STP announced they were rescheduling several U.S. tour dates so that the band could take a "short break". STP toured Southeast Asia for the first time in 2011, playing in Philippines (Manila), Singapore, and Indonesia (Jakarta). Following this, the band played successful shows in Australia, including sold out performances in Sydney and Melbourne.[37]

text: 2011–2013: Split with Weiland and legal proceedings

text: In December 2011, Dean DeLeo told Rolling Stone, "what I'd like to see happen is the band go out and do more intimate shows—really lovely theaters around the country." DeLeo also commented on a possible extended reissue of Core including live archived material, "We have tons of live recordings from that era, and we didn't multi-track record that stuff. There's no fixes, so they'd sound incredible if we just master them."[38] On January 2, 2012, Scott Weiland also commented on the 20th anniversary of Core, saying "Well, we're doing a lot of special things. [There's] a lot of archival footage that we're putting together, a coffee table book, hopefully a brand new album—so many ideas. A box set and then a tour, of course."[39]

text: On June 26, STP released its first-ever concert film, Alive in the Windy City, on DVD and Blu-ray. The performance was filmed at a sold-out show in March 2010 at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago.[40]

text: From then on, the band began to experience problems, and suspicions were raised that tensions within the band had arisen again. Despite the band's claims that their fall tour would be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Core,[41] this did not happen. According to Weiland's bandmates, they did not want to do the celebration because they believed that he no longer had the vocal range to perform some of the album's songs. Weiland then decided to perform the latter songs that they did not want to play on a separate solo tour. The rest of the band decided to hide their anger and frustration towards his decision, causing Weiland to assume that they were all on the same page.

text: On September 17, at a show in Abbotsford, British Columbia, STP arrived nearly two hours late, and cut their set 30 minutes short, angering many fans.[42] The following day, the band released a brief statement announcing that that night's show in Lethbridge, Alberta was cancelled due to Weiland being ordered to go on "48 hours complete vocal rest due to strained vocal cords."[43]

text: On December 7, in response to a public declaration from Weiland that he was "completely open" to returning to Velvet Revolver and a radio DJ's questions about the state of that band, Slash (Weiland's former bandmate with Velvet Revolver) told Minneapolis/St. Paul radio station 93X that he had heard rumors Weiland had been fired from Stone Temple Pilots, citing this as a possible reason for Weiland's eagerness to return to Velvet Revolver, something that he quickly dismissed.[44]

text: On February 27, 2013, Stone Temple Pilots fired Weiland.[1] The firing was officially announced as Weiland left on tour with his solo band.[45] Both parties issued lawsuits over the right to perform with the Stone Temple Pilots name; both were settled out of court, with the DeLeo brothers and Kretz retaining the rights to perform under the name.[46]

text: 2013–2015: With Chester Bennington, and Weiland's death

text: On May 18, 2013, the three remaining members of Stone Temple Pilots performed with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, appearing as special guests at the 21st Annual KROQ Weenie Roast, and the May 19, 2013 Live 105 BFD festival near San Francisco, where they performed a new song, "Out of Time."[47]

text: On May 19, 2013, STP released a free download of their new single "Out of Time" with Bennington now an official member. Bennington had exclaimed years before in interviews that being in Stone Temple Pilots was his lifelong dream. The new lineup performed again on May 30, 2013 at the MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert in Los Angeles, California,[48] and were joined by Weiland's former bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan on stage to perform "All the Young Dudes".[49]

text: On July 15, 2013, STP announced that it would embark on a small tour in September with Filter as the opening act.[50] Stone Temple Pilots released a five-track EP titled High Rise on October 8, 2013, through Play Pen, LLC, credited as Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington.[51] The album's second single, "Black Heart," was released through iHeart Radio on September 18, 2013. They officially dropped "with Chester Bennington" from their name in March 2015.[52]

text: On November 9, 2015, Bennington announced he was amicably leaving Stone Temple Pilots to focus more on Linkin Park.[2][3] Bennington would not return to the band as he was found dead at his home, in 2017. His death was ruled as suicide by hanging.[53]

text: On December 3, 2015, Scott Weiland was found dead of an accidental overdose of alcohol, pills, and cocaine on his tour bus in Minnesota.[54] Stone Temple Pilots released a statement noting his passing in which they thanked him for his time with them and said he was "gifted beyond words."[55]

text: 2016–present: Bennington's death, new singer Jeff Gutt and second self-titled album

text: In February 2016, Stone Temple Pilots launched an online audition for a new vocalist, stating, "If you think you have what it takes to front this band, record with this band, and tour with this band, we would dig hearing from you."[5] In September of that year, rumors circulated about "Fillipino musician John Borja being the top candidate for the job."[56] In February 2017, it was reported by AlternativeNation.net that the band "has already selected their singer, so they have their hearts set on somebody," though it was not revealed who. That same article, however, called Borja and X Factor season 3 runner-up Jeff Gutt "two rumored finalists."[57]

text: On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington was found dead in his home shortly before 9:00am. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.

text: On July 26, 2017, the band announced that a 25th anniversary edition of Core would be released on September 29, 2017. The reissue includes a 25th Anniversary box set, it includes a remastered version of the album, previously unreleased demos and b-sides, and parts of three live performances from 1993 (Castaic Lake Natural Amphitheater, Reading Festival, and MTV Unplugged.)[58]

text: In October 2017, Dean DeLeo said that the band's search for a new vocalist was "going great," and that the band is "working on new material."[59] On November 14, the band revealed that Jeff Gutt had been chosen as their new lead singer.[60]

text: On November 15, 2017, the band released a new song, "Meadow" from their upcoming studio album.[61]

text: On January 31, 2018, the band released a second new song, "Roll Me Under," as well as announced the release of its seventh studio album. The LP, which is the band's second self-titled album, was released on March 16, 2018.[10]

text: Musical style

text: The band's sound is considered a blending of the alternative rock of the 1980s and 1990s with the hard rock of the 1970s, though the band is known for making each of their records possess a unique musical style, despite having the "sonic blueprint" of the band, as Robert DeLeo describes.[62][63] Stone Temple Pilots have also been described as alternative metal[64][65] and neo-psychedelia.[66] The band Aerosmith was a large influence on the band collectively, with guitarist Dean DeLeo acknowledging the band's influence on songs such as "Huckleberry Crumble" off their 2010 self-titled record. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry joined the band onstage at a 1996 show in Madison Square Garden for renditions of the Aerosmith songs "Sweet Emotion" and "Lick and a Promise". All of the band members were Kiss fans during their childhood, and played shows at the Roseland Ballroom in 1993 dressed in Kiss-style makeup. During the taping of their VH1 Storytellers performance, Weiland acknowledged artists such as The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Robert Plant as their musical heroes. The band has covered songs by artists such as the Beatles,[67] Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Pink Floyd, James Brown, David Bowie, and Bob Marley both live and in the studio.

text: Early in their career, the band was considered to be a part of the grunge movement. Despite assertions by critics that their style in the early–mid 1990s was derived from contemporary artists such as Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, the band maintained that the similarities were coincidental, due in part to having the same musical idols growing up. Much of the comparison was directed at Weiland's vocal style drawing similarities to that of Eddie Vedder's. Weiland stated that his vocal style is influenced by Jim Morrison and David Bowie, who also served as his main fashion influence. Weiland has been called a chameleon due to his ability to change his vocal and fashion style.[68] Regarding the band's musical evolution, Weiland commented in 2014 that "with STP, we never stuck to it. We saw that even great movements only last a certain period of time and you don’t want to be pigeonholed, so we got into other things, like the Beatles were a big influence, glam was a big influence, and it morphed along the way. I’m proud of the legacy we created and where we stand among those other peers at the time."[69]

text: Guitarist Dean DeLeo uses heavily layered and distorted guitar playing, while bassist Robert DeLeo draws influence from genres such as rhythm and blues, lounge music, and ragtime. Although the band's early demo recordings displayed a funk rock sound,[70] the band's first album Core was a straightforward display of grunge. After reconvening in the studio for their second album, Purple, the band's style developed, taking influence from psychedelic rock, country music, and jangle pop. The band continued to diverge into various genres and influences; for example, songs like "And So I Know" on Tiny Music... have a distinct bossa nova sound. Regarding the evolution of the band's sound, Weiland commented that "the transformation from Core to where we ended up before we took that time off, when I started with Velvet Revolver, was enormous."[71]

text: Weiland was the band's primary lyricist. His style changed with the band's evolution; much of the lyrics on Core were written about societal issues such as religion, abuse of power, and isolation. The band's breakthrough single "Sex Type Thing" polarized critics with its lyrics, some interpreting it as advocacy of date rape.[72] Weiland intended it as a feminist anthem, with its lyrics written in mockery of the narrator. As Weiland began to deal with substance abuse, his lyrics became more personal and intricate; songs like "Interstate Love Song" deal with his addiction's tolls on his relationship with his then-wife, Janina. The lyrics of the band's fourth album were written to provide closure to his marriage and addiction to heroin. Following the band's reunion in 2008, Weiland once again evolved as a songwriter, explaining: "[In] the '90s, I was so overwhelmed with my heroin addiction, and so a lot of the stuff was just from my point of view. Now, I tend to look at some of the greats like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. I look at their storytelling [and] I try to tell stories. Every song doesn't have to be narcissistically written about how I feel on that day."

text: Legacy

text: Core, certified 8× platinum by the RIAA, drove the band to popularity.[73] STP went on to become one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the 1990s, selling 40 million records worldwide,[28] including 17.5 million units in the United States,[74] before their dissolution in 2002. The band has had 16 top ten singles on the Billboard rock charts, eight of which peaked at No. 1,[75] and one No. 1 album for Purple in 1994.[76][77] That same year, the band won a Grammy for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for the song "Plush" from the album Core.[78] Stone Temple Pilots were also ranked No. 40 on VH1's The 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.[79] As of 2015, the band has sold over 40 million albums worldwide [80]

text: Despite being unpopular with critics in their heyday, Stone Temple Pilots have proved to be a popular and influential act. In retrospect, MTV writer James Montgomery published an article questioning the validity of music critics opinions of the band during the 90s, saying, "All I'm suggesting is that perhaps it's time to admit that we were wrong about them from the get-go—that we treated them unfairly."[81] In a review of the band's 2003 greatest hits collection Thank You, AllMusic critic Stephen Erlewine wrote that "STP made music that sounded great at the time and even better now," and that "this music has stood the test of time," calling Thank You "nearly perfect."[82] Erlewine also wrote that "STP was the best straight-ahead rock singles outfit of their time."[77]

text: After the death of Scott Weiland, Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan paid official tribute to the band and musician, calling him one of the greatest voices of their generation:

text: "It was, I'd guess you'd say, my way of apology for having been so critical of STP when they appeared on the scene like some crazy, man-fueled rocket. And not only was the knight up front freshly handsome to a fault, but he could sing too! As any supreme actor gives a real and different voice to each character played. It was STP's 3rd album that had got me hooked, a wizardly mix of glam and post-punk, and I confessed to Scott, as well as the band many times, how wrong I'd been in assessing their native brilliance. And like Bowie can and does, it was Scott's phrasing that pushed his music into a unique, and hard to pin down, aesthetic sonicsphere. Lastly, I'd like to share a thought which though clumsy, I hope would please Scott In Hominum. And that is if you asked me who I truly believed were the great voices of our generation, I'd say it were he, Layne, and Kurt."[83]

text: On December 3, 2016, STP posted a tribute on their website to mark the one year anniversary of Weiland's death.[84] In 2017, Metal Injection ranked Stone Temple Pilots at number 9 on their list of "10 Heaviest Grunge Bands."[85]

text: Band members

text:
Current members

Jeff Gutt – lead vocals (2017–present)
Dean DeLeo – guitar (1989–2002, 2008–present)
Robert DeLeo – bass, backing vocals (1989–2002, 2008–present)
Eric Kretz – drums (1989–2002, 2008–present)

Former members

Scott Weiland – lead vocals (1989–2002; 2008–2013; died 2015)
Chester Bennington – lead vocals (2013–2015; died 2017)

text: Timeline

text: Awards

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result[citation needed]

1993
"Plush"
MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
Won

1993
"Plush"
MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video
Nominated[86]

1993
"Plush"
Billboard Music Award for #1 Rock Song of The Year
Won[87]

1994
-
American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist
Won

1994
-
Billboard Music Award for Top Modern Rock Act Of The Year
Won

1994
"Plush"
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
Won

1995
-
American Music Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist
Nominated[86]

1995
-
American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group
Nominated[86]

1995
"Interstate Love Song"
MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video
Nominated[86]

1995
"Interstate Love Song"
MTV Video Music Award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video
Nominated[86]

1995
"Interstate Love Song"
MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video
Nominated[86]

1995
"Interstate Love Song"
MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography
Nominated[86]

1995
"Big Empty"
MTV Movie Award for Best Song From a Movie
Won[88]

1997
"Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart"
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
Nominated

1997
-
American Music Award for Favorite Metal/Hard Rock Artist
Nominated

1997
-
American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist
Nominated

2000
"Sour Girl"
MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography
Nominated[89]

2001
"Down"
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
Nominated

2010
"Between the Lines"
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
Nominated

text: Discography

text:
Core (1992)
Purple (1994)
Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996)
No. 4 (1999)
Shangri-La Dee Da (2001)
Stone Temple Pilots (2010)
Stone Temple Pilots (2018)


document_title: Area codes 402 and 531

question_text: what is the area code for omaha nebraska

root

text: Area codes 402 and 531

text: History[edit]

text: Nebraska's most-populous cities, Omaha and Lincoln, are near each other in the eastern part of the state. In comparable circumstances in Kansas, where its most-populous cities, Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City are in that state's eastern part, a north-south split was implemented placing Wichita in one area code, with Topeka and Kansas City in another. However, in Nebraska an east-west split was implemented in which Omaha and Lincoln retained 402, while Grand Island, then the state's third-most-populous city, was placed in 308.

tag: p

text: Omaha and Lincoln are not only home to most of Nebraska's landlines, but also to most of its cell phones and pagers. As a result, area code 402 was nearly exhausted by the end of the 1990s. It was originally projected to be exhausted in 2001, but number pooling was implemented to stave off exhaustion. In 2009, however, NeuStar projected that 402 would be exhausted in 2010.

text: In March 2011, area code 531 was implemented as an overlay to area code 402. Although the first central prefix in 531 was not assigned until February 2013, ten-digit dialing has been mandatory for all calls from the 402 territory since spring 2011.[1]

text: Major cities served[edit]

text:
Beatrice
Bellevue
Columbus
Fremont
Hastings
La Vista
Lincoln
Norfolk
Omaha
Papillion
Ralston
Valentine
Wayne

tag: ul


document_title: List of NBA champions

question_text: who has the most nba championships in the nba

text: List of NBA champions

text: Champions

text: Numbers in parentheses in the table are NBA Finals appearances as of the date of that NBA Finals, and are used as follows:

text: Winning team and losing team columns indicate the conference (or division, prior to 1971), number of appearances in an NBA Finals, and each respective teams' NBA Finals record to date.

text:
Year
Winning team
Coach
Games
Losing team
Coach
Ref

1947
Philadelphia Warriors (1, 1–0)
Eddie Gottlieb
4–1
Chicago Stags (1, 0–1)
Harold Olsen
[14]

1948
Baltimore Bullets (1, 1–0)
Buddy Jeannette
4–2
Philadelphia Warriors (2, 1–1)
Eddie Gottlieb
[15]

1949
Minneapolis Lakers (W) (1, 1–0)
John Kundla
4–2
Washington Capitols (E) (1, 0–1)
Red Auerbach
[16]

1950
Minneapolis Lakers (C) (2, 2–0)
John Kundla
4–2
Syracuse Nationals (E) (1, 0–1)
Al Cervi
[17]

1951
Rochester Royals (W) (1, 1–0)
Les Harrison
4–3
New York Knicks (E) (1, 0–1)
Joe Lapchick
[18]

1952
Minneapolis Lakers (W) (3, 3–0)
John Kundla
4–3
New York Knicks (E) (2, 0–2)
Joe Lapchick
[19]

1953
Minneapolis Lakers (W) (4, 4–0)
John Kundla
4–1
New York Knicks (E) (3, 0–3)
Joe Lapchick
[20]

1954
Minneapolis Lakers (W) (5, 5–0)
John Kundla
4–3
Syracuse Nationals (E) (2, 0–2)
Al Cervi
[21]

1955
Syracuse Nationals (E) (3, 1–2)
Al Cervi
4–3
Fort Wayne Pistons (W) (1, 0–1)
Charles Eckman
[22]

1956
Philadelphia Warriors (E) (3, 2–1)
George Senesky
4–1
Fort Wayne Pistons (W) (2, 0–2)
Charles Eckman
[23]

1957
Boston Celtics (E) (1, 1–0)
Red Auerbach
4–3
St. Louis Hawks (W) (1, 0–1)
Alex Hannum
[24]

1958
St. Louis Hawks (W) (2, 1–1)
Alex Hannum
4–2
Boston Celtics (E) (2, 1–1)
Red Auerbach
[25]

1959
Boston Celtics (E) (3, 2–1)
Red Auerbach
4–0
Minneapolis Lakers (W) (6, 5–1)
John Kundla
[26]

1960
Boston Celtics (E) (4, 3–1)
Red Auerbach
4–3
St. Louis Hawks (W) (3, 1–2)
Ed Macauley
[27]

1961
Boston Celtics (E) (5, 4–1)
Red Auerbach
4–1
St. Louis Hawks (W) (4, 1–3)
Paul Seymour
[28]

1962
Boston Celtics (E) (6, 5–1)
Red Auerbach
4–3
Los Angeles Lakers (W) (7, 5–2)
Fred Schaus
[29]

1963
Boston Celtics (E) (7, 6–1)
Red Auerbach
4–2
Los Angeles Lakers (W) (8, 5–3)
Fred Schaus
[30]

1964
Boston Celtics (E) (8, 7–1)
Red Auerbach
4–1
San Francisco Warriors (W) (4, 2–2)
Alex Hannum
[31]

1965
Boston Celtics (E) (9, 8–1)
Red Auerbach
4–1
Los Angeles Lakers (W) (9, 5–4)
Fred Schaus
[32]

1966
Boston Celtics (E) (10, 9–1)
Red Auerbach
4–3
Los Angeles Lakers (W) (10, 5–5)
Fred Schaus
[33]

1967
Philadelphia 76ers (E) (4, 2–2)
Alex Hannum
4–2
San Francisco Warriors (W) (5, 2–3)
Bill Sharman
[34]

1968
Boston Celtics (E) (11, 10–1)
Bill Russell
4–2
Los Angeles Lakers (W) (11, 5–6)
Butch van Breda Kolff
[35]

1969
Boston Celtics (E) (12, 11–1)
Bill Russell
4–3
Los Angeles Lakers (W) (12, 5–7)
Butch van Breda Kolff
[36]

1970
New York Knicks (E) (4, 1–3)
Red Holzman
4–3
Los Angeles Lakers (W) (13, 5–8)
Joe Mullaney
[37]

1971
Milwaukee Bucks (WC) (1, 1–0)
Larry Costello
4–0
Baltimore Bullets (EC) (1, 0–1)
Gene Shue
[38]

1972
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (14, 6–8)
Bill Sharman
4–1
New York Knicks (EC) (5, 1–4)
Red Holzman
[39]

1973
New York Knicks (EC) (6, 2–4)
Red Holzman
4–1
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (15, 6–9)
Bill Sharman
[40]

1974
Boston Celtics (EC) (13, 12–1)
Tom Heinsohn
4–3
Milwaukee Bucks (WC) (2, 1–1)
Larry Costello
[41]

1975
Golden State Warriors (WC) (6, 3–3)
Al Attles
4–0
Washington Bullets (EC) (2, 0–2)
K. C. Jones
[42]

1976
Boston Celtics (EC) (14, 13–1)
Tom Heinsohn
4–2
Phoenix Suns (WC) (1, 0–1)
John MacLeod
[43]

1977
Portland Trail Blazers (WC) (1, 1–0)
Jack Ramsay
4–2
Philadelphia 76ers (EC) (5, 2–3)
Gene Shue
[44]

1978
Washington Bullets (EC) (3, 1–2)
Dick Motta
4–3
Seattle SuperSonics (WC) (1, 0–1)
Lenny Wilkens
[45]

1979
Seattle SuperSonics (WC) (2, 1–1)
Lenny Wilkens
4–1
Washington Bullets (EC) (4, 1–3)
Dick Motta
[46]

1980
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (16, 7–9)
Paul Westhead
4–2
Philadelphia 76ers (EC) (6, 2–4)
Billy Cunningham
[47]

1981
Boston Celtics (EC) (15, 14–1)
Bill Fitch
4–2
Houston Rockets (WC) (1, 0–1)
Del Harris
[48]

1982
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (17, 8–9)
Pat Riley
4–2
Philadelphia 76ers (EC) (7, 2–5)
Billy Cunningham
[49]

1983
Philadelphia 76ers (EC) (8, 3–5)
Billy Cunningham
4–0
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (18, 8–10)
Pat Riley
[50]

1984
Boston Celtics (EC) (16, 15–1)
K. C. Jones
4–3
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (19, 8–11)
Pat Riley
[51]

1985
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (20, 9–11)
Pat Riley
4–2
Boston Celtics (EC) (17, 15–2)
K. C. Jones
[52]

1986
Boston Celtics (EC) (18, 16–2)
K. C. Jones
4–2
Houston Rockets (WC) (2, 0–2)
Bill Fitch
[53]

1987
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (21, 10–11)
Pat Riley
4–2
Boston Celtics (EC) (19, 16–3)
K. C. Jones
[54]

1988
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (22, 11–11)
Pat Riley
4–3
Detroit Pistons (EC) (3, 0–3)
Chuck Daly
[55]

1989
Detroit Pistons (EC) (4, 1–3)
Chuck Daly
4–0
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (23, 11–12)
Pat Riley
[56]

1990
Detroit Pistons (EC) (5, 2–3)
Chuck Daly
4–1
Portland Trail Blazers (WC) (2, 1–1)
Rick Adelman
[57]

1991
Chicago Bulls (EC) (1, 1–0)
Phil Jackson
4–1
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (24, 11–13)
Mike Dunleavy
[58]

1992
Chicago Bulls (EC) (2, 2–0)
Phil Jackson
4–2
Portland Trail Blazers (WC) (3, 1–2)
Rick Adelman
[59]

1993
Chicago Bulls (EC) (3, 3–0)
Phil Jackson
4–2
Phoenix Suns (WC) (2, 0–2)
Paul Westphal
[60]

1994
Houston Rockets (WC) (3, 1–2)
Rudy Tomjanovich
4–3
New York Knicks (EC) (7, 2–5)
Pat Riley
[61]

1995
Houston Rockets (WC) (4, 2–2)
Rudy Tomjanovich
4–0
Orlando Magic (EC) (1, 0–1)
Brian Hill
[62]

1996
Chicago Bulls (EC) (4, 4–0)
Phil Jackson
4–2
Seattle SuperSonics (WC) (3, 1–2)
George Karl
[63]

1997
Chicago Bulls (EC) (5, 5–0)
Phil Jackson
4–2
Utah Jazz (WC) (1, 0–1)
Jerry Sloan
[64]

1998
Chicago Bulls (EC) (6, 6–0)
Phil Jackson
4–2
Utah Jazz (WC) (2, 0–2)
Jerry Sloan
[65]

1999
San Antonio Spurs (WC) (1, 1–0)
Gregg Popovich
4–1
New York Knicks (EC) (8, 2–6)
Jeff Van Gundy
[66]

2000
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (25, 12–13)
Phil Jackson
4–2
Indiana Pacers (EC) (1, 0–1)
Larry Bird
[67]

2001
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (26, 13–13)
Phil Jackson
4–1
Philadelphia 76ers (EC) (9, 3–6)
Larry Brown
[68]

2002
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (27, 14–13)
Phil Jackson
4–0
New Jersey Nets (EC) (1, 0–1)
Byron Scott
[69]

2003
San Antonio Spurs (WC) (2, 2–0)
Gregg Popovich
4–2
New Jersey Nets (EC) (2, 0–2)
Byron Scott
[70]

2004
Detroit Pistons (EC) (6, 3–3)
Larry Brown
4–1
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (28, 14–14)
Phil Jackson
[71]

2005
San Antonio Spurs (WC) (3, 3–0)
Gregg Popovich
4–3
Detroit Pistons (EC) (7, 3–4)
Larry Brown
[72]

2006
Miami Heat (EC) (1, 1–0)
Pat Riley
4–2
Dallas Mavericks (WC) (1, 0–1)
Avery Johnson
[73]

2007
San Antonio Spurs (WC) (4, 4–0)
Gregg Popovich
4–0
Cleveland Cavaliers (EC) (1, 0–1)
Mike Brown
[74]

2008
Boston Celtics (EC) (20, 17–3)
Doc Rivers
4–2
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (29, 14–15)
Phil Jackson
[75]

2009
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (30, 15–15)
Phil Jackson
4–1
Orlando Magic (EC) (2, 0–2)
Stan Van Gundy
[76]

2010
Los Angeles Lakers (WC) (31, 16–15)
Phil Jackson
4–3
Boston Celtics (EC) (21, 17–4)
Doc Rivers
[77]

2011
Dallas Mavericks (WC) (2, 1–1)
Rick Carlisle
4–2
Miami Heat (EC) (2, 1–1)
Erik Spoelstra
[78]

2012
Miami Heat (EC) (3, 2–1)
Erik Spoelstra
4–1
Oklahoma City Thunder (WC) (4, 1–3)
Scott Brooks
[79]

2013
Miami Heat (EC) (4, 3–1)
Erik Spoelstra
4–3
San Antonio Spurs (WC) (5, 4–1)
Gregg Popovich
[80]

2014
San Antonio Spurs (WC) (6, 5–1)
Gregg Popovich
4–1
Miami Heat (EC) (5, 3–2)
Erik Spoelstra
[81]

2015
Golden State Warriors (WC) (7, 4–3)
Steve Kerr
4–2
Cleveland Cavaliers (EC) (2, 0–2)
David Blatt
[82]

2016
Cleveland Cavaliers (EC) (3, 1–2)
Tyronn Lue
4–3
Golden State Warriors (WC) (8, 4–4)
Steve Kerr
[83]

2017
Golden State Warriors (WC) (9, 5–4)
Steve Kerr
4–1
Cleveland Cavaliers (EC) (4, 1–3)
Tyronn Lue
[84]

2018
Golden State Warriors (WC) (10, 6–4)
Steve Kerr
4–0
Cleveland Cavaliers (EC) (5, 1–4)
Tyronn Lue
[85]

tag: table

text: Results by teams

text:
Teams
Win
Loss
Total
Year(s) won
Year(s) lost

Boston Celtics
17
4
21
1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008
1958, 1985, 1987, 2010

Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
16
15
31
1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010
1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2008

Philadelphia/San Francisco/Golden State Warriors
6
4
10
1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018
1948, 1964, 1967, 2016

Chicago Bulls
6
0
6
1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
—

San Antonio Spurs
5
1
6
1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014
2013

Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers
3
6
9
1955, 1967, 1983
1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001

Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons
3
4
7
1989, 1990, 2004
1955, 1956, 1988, 2005

Miami Heat
3
2
5
2006, 2012, 2013
2011, 2014

New York Knicks
2
6
8
1970, 1973
1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999

Houston Rockets
2
2
4
1994, 1995
1981, 1986

Cleveland Cavaliers
1
4
5
2016
2007, 2015, 2017, 2018

St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks
1
3
4
1958
1957, 1960, 1961

Baltimore/Washington Bullets/Washington Wizards
1
3
4
1978
1971, 1975, 1979

Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder
1
3
4
1979
1978, 1996, 2012

Portland Trail Blazers
1
2
3
1977
1990, 1992

Milwaukee Bucks
1
1
2
1971
1974

Dallas Mavericks
1
1
2
2011
2006

Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954)[a]
1
0
1
1948
—

Rochester/Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City/Sacramento Kings
1
0
1
1951
—

Phoenix Suns
0
2
2
—
1976, 1993

New Orleans/Utah Jazz
0
2
2
—
1997, 1998

New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets
0
2
2
—
2002, 2003

Orlando Magic
0
2
2
—
1995, 2009

Chicago Stags (folded in 1950)
0
1
1
—
1947

Washington Capitols (folded in 1951)
0
1
1
—
1949

Indiana Pacers
0
1
1
—
2000

Buffalo Braves/San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers
—
—
—

Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats
—
—
—

Denver Nuggets
—
—
—

Minnesota Timberwolves
—
—
—

New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans
—
—
—

Toronto Raptors
—
—
—

Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies
—
—
—

text: Notes

text: Jump up ^ Not affiliated with the present-day Washington Wizards who were known as the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets from 1963 to 1997.

tag: ol


document_title: The Last King of Scotland (film)

question_text: who played idi amin in the last king of scotland

text: The Last King of Scotland (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1970, Nicholas Garrigan graduates from medical school at the University of Edinburgh. With dull prospects at home, he decides to seek adventure abroad by working at a Ugandan missionary clinic run by Dr. David Merrit and his wife, Sarah. Garrigan becomes attracted to Sarah, who enjoys the attention, but refuses to engage in an extramarital affair.

text: Meanwhile, General Idi Amin overthrows incumbent president Milton Obote in a coup d'état. Garrigan sincerely believes Amin will help the country, while Sarah warns him of presidents who have taken over before.

text: Garrigan is called to a minor car accident where he treats Amin's hand. During the incident, Garrigan takes a gun and shoots a mortally wounded cow because no one else has the presence of mind to put it out of its misery. Amin is impressed by his quick action and initiative. Amin, fond of Scotland as a symbol of resilience and admiring of the Scottish people for their resistance to the English, is delighted to discover Garrigan's nationality and exchanges his military shirt for Garrigan's Scotland shirt. Later, Amin invites Garrigan to become his personal physician and take charge of modernising the country's health care system.

text: Garrigan soon becomes Amin's trusted confidant and is relied on for much more than medical care, such as matters of state. Although Garrigan is aware of violence around Kampala, he accepts Amin's explanation that cracking down on the opposition will bring lasting peace to the country. Garrigan discovers that the polygamous leader has ostracised the youngest of his three wives, Kay, because she has given birth to an epileptic son, Mackenzie. When treating Mackenzie, Garrigan and Kay form a relationship and sleep with each other, but Kay tells him he must find a way to leave Uganda. Eventually, Garrigan begins to lose faith in Amin as he witnesses the increasing paranoia, murders, and xenophobia. Amin replaces Garrigan's British passport with a Ugandan one to prevent him from escaping, which leads Garrigan to frantically seek help from Stone, the local British Foreign Office representative. Garrigan is told the British will help him leave Uganda if he uses his position to assassinate Amin, but Garrigan refuses.

text: Kay informs Garrigan that she has become pregnant with his child. Aware that Amin will murder her for infidelity if he discovers this, she begs Garrigan for a secret abortion. Delayed by Amin's command that he attend a press conference with Western journalists, Garrigan fails to meet Kay at the appointed time. She concludes she has been abandoned and seeks out a primitive abortion in a nearby village, where she is apprehended by Amin's forces. Garrigan finds her dismembered corpse on an autopsy table and falls retching to his knees, finally confronting the inhumanity of Amin's regime and decides killing him will end it all.

text: A hijacked aircraft is flown to Entebbe by pro-Palestinian hijackers seeking asylum. Amin, sensing a major publicity opportunity, rushes to the scene, taking Garrigan along. At the airport, one of Amin's bodyguards discovers Garrigan's plot to poison Amin under the ruse of giving him pills for a headache. Garrigan is beaten by Amin's henchmen before Amin arrives and discloses he is aware of the relationship with Kay. As punishment, Garrigan's chest is pierced with meat hooks before he is hanged by his skin.

text: Amin arranges a plane for the release of non-Israeli passengers, and the torturers leave Garrigan unconscious on the floor while they relax in another room. Garrigan's medical colleague, Dr. Junju, takes advantage of the opportunity to rescue him. He urges Garrigan to tell the world the truth about Amin's regime, asserting that the world will believe Garrigan because he is white. Junju gives Garrigan his own jacket, enabling him to mingle unnoticed with the crowd of freed hostages and board the plane. When the torturers discover Garrigan's absence, Junju is killed for aiding in the escape. Amin is informed too late to prevent it, while Garrigan tearfully remembers the people of Uganda.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin
James McAvoy as Nicholas Garrigan
Kerry Washington as Kay Amin
Gillian Anderson as Sarah Merrit
Simon McBurney as Stone
David Oyelowo as Dr. Junju
Apollo Okwenje Omamo as Mackenzie
Shabir Mir as Zumba
Cleopatra Koheirwe as Joy

text: Release[edit]

text: The Last King of Scotland received a limited release in the United States on 27 September 2006, a UK release on 12 January 2007, a French release on 14 February 2007, and a German release on 15 March 2007. In the United States and Canada, the film earned $17,606,684 at the box office. In the United Kingdom, the film took $11,131,918. Its combined worldwide gross was $48,362,207.[4]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The Last King of Scotland has an approval rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 183 reviews, with an average score of 7.3 out of 10. The website's critical consensus states: "Forest Whitaker's performance as real-life megalomaniac dictator Idi Amin powers this fictionalized political thriller, a blunt and brutal tale about power and corruption".[5] At Metacritic, the film has a score of 74 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Academy Awards record

Best Actor (Forest Whitaker)

Golden Globe Awards record

Best Actor - Drama (Forest Whitaker)

BAFTA Awards record

Best British Film

Best Actor (Forest Whitaker)

Best Adapted Screenplay

text: Whitaker won in the best leading actor category at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTAs. In addition, Whitaker also won awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics' Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, the National Board of Review and many other critics awards, for a total of at least 23 major awards, with at least one more nomination.

text: The film received a 2007 BAFTA Award for Best British Film and the BAFTA award for Best Adapted Screenplay, in addition to receiving nominations for Best Film. McAvoy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

text: The film was received well in Uganda, where it premiered two days before Whitaker won the Best Actor Academy Award.[7]

text: Historical accuracy[edit]

text: While the character of Idi Amin and the events surrounding him in the film are mostly based on fact, Garrigan is a fictional character. Foden has acknowledged that one real-life figure who contributed to the character Garrigan was English-born Bob Astles, who worked with Amin.[8] Another real-life figure who has been mentioned in connection with Garrigan is Scottish doctor Wilson Carswell.[9] Like the novel on which it is based, the film mixes fiction with real events in Ugandan history to give an impression of Amin and Uganda under his rule. While the basic events of Amin's life are followed, the film often departs from actual history in the details of particular events.

text: In real life and in the book, Kay Amin was impregnated by her lover Dr. Mbalu Mukasa. She died during a botched abortion operation performed by Mukasa, who subsequently committed suicide.[10] Bob Astles said in a lengthy interview with the journalist Paul Vallely in The Times that her body was dismembered by her lover so it could be hidden and was then sewn back together on Amin's orders.[11] Amin never had a son named Campbell.

text: Contrary to the wording of the film's coda stating "48 hours later, Israeli Forces stormed Entebbe and liberated all but one of the hostages", three hostages died during Operation Entebbe. The body of a fourth hostage, 75-year-old Dora Bloch, who was killed by Ugandan Army officers at a nearby hospital in retaliation for Israel's actions, was eventually returned to Israel.[12]

text: Some historians believe the film and its depiction of Amin are comparable with the Shakespearean character Macbeth. According to Foden, adapting the titular character from Macbeth as a Third World dictator is plausible.[13]


document_title: Iron Man 2

question_text: who plays the little kid in iron man 2

question_tokens: who plays the little kid in iron man 2

text: Iron Man 2

text: Plot[edit]

text: In Russia, the media covers Tony Stark's disclosure of his identity as Iron Man. Ivan Vanko, whose father Anton Vanko has just died, sees this and begins building a miniature arc reactor similar to Stark's. Six months later,[N 2] Stark is a superstar and uses his Iron Man suit for peaceful means, resisting government pressure to sell his designs. He reinstitutes the Stark Expo to continue his father Howard's legacy.

text: The palladium core in the arc reactor that keeps Stark alive and powers the armor is slowly poisoning him, and he cannot find a substitute. Growing increasingly reckless and despondent about his impending death, and choosing not to tell anyone about his condition, Stark appoints his personal assistant Pepper Potts CEO of Stark Industries, and hires Stark employee Natalie Rushman to replace her as his personal assistant. Stark competes in the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, where he is attacked in the middle of the race by Vanko, who wields electrified whips. Stark dons his Mark V armor and defeats Vanko, but the suit is severely damaged. Vanko explains his intention was to prove to the world that Iron Man is not invincible. Impressed by Vanko's performance, Stark's rival, Justin Hammer, fakes Vanko's death while breaking him out of prison and asks him to build a line of armored suits to upstage Stark. During what he believes is his final birthday party, Stark gets drunk while wearing the Mark IV suit. Disgusted, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes dons Stark's Mark II prototype armor and tries to restrain him. The fight ends in a stalemate, so Rhodes confiscates the Mark II for the U.S. Air Force.

text: Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approaches Stark, revealing "Rushman" to be Agent Natasha Romanoff and that Howard Stark was a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder whom Fury knew personally. Fury explains that Vanko's father jointly invented the arc reactor with Stark, but when Anton tried to sell it for profit, Stark had him deported. The Soviets sent Anton to the gulag. Fury gives Stark some of his father's old material; a hidden message in the diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo proves to be a diagram of the structure of a new element. With the aid of his computer J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark synthesizes it. When he learns Vanko is still alive, he places the new element in his arc reactor and ends his palladium dependency.

text: At the Expo, Hammer unveils Vanko's armored drones, led by Rhodes in a heavily weaponized version of the Mark II armor. Stark arrives in the Mark VI armor to warn Rhodes, but Vanko remotely takes control of both the drones and Rhodes' armor and attacks Iron Man. Hammer is arrested while Romanoff and Stark's bodyguard Happy Hogan go after Vanko at Hammer's factory. Vanko escapes, but Romanoff returns control of the Mark II armor to Rhodes. Stark and Rhodes together defeat Vanko and his drones. Vanko seemingly commits suicide by blowing up his suit.

text: At a debriefing, Fury informs Stark that because of Stark's difficult personality, S.H.I.E.L.D. intends to use him only as a consultant. Stark and Rhodes receive medals for their heroism.

text: In a post-credits scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson reports the discovery of a large hammer at the bottom of a crater in a desert in New Mexico.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:
A billionaire who escaped captivity in Afghanistan with a suit of armor he created, he now struggles to keep his technology out of the government's hands. Downey and Favreau, who had been handed a script and worked from it on the first movie, conceived part of the film's story themselves.[9] On Stark being a hero, Downey said "It's kind of heroic, but really kind of on his own behalf. So I think there's probably a bit of an imposter complex and no sooner has he said, 'I am Iron Man –' that he's now really wondering what that means. If you have all this cushion like he does and the public is on your side and you have immense wealth and power, I think he's way too insulated to be okay."[10] Downey put on 20 pounds of muscle to reprise the role.[11] Six-year-old Davin Ransom portrays Tony Stark as a child.[12]

Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts:
Stark's closest friend, budding love interest, and business partner; Pepper is promoted to CEO of Stark Industries.[13] On her character's promotion, Paltrow opined "When we start Iron Man 2 Pepper and Tony are very much in the same vibe... as the movie progresses, Pepper is given more responsibility and she's promoted and it's nice to see her sort of grow up in that way. I think it really suits her, the job fits her really well."[14] Paltrow expressed excitement about working with Johansson.[15]

Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes:
An officer in the U.S. Air Force and Tony Stark's close personal friend who later operates the War Machine armor. Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard from the first film.[16] Cheadle only had a few hours to accept the role and did not even know what storyline Rhodes would undergo.[17] He commented that he is a comic book fan, but had not previously participated in comics-themed films due to the scarcity of black superheroes.[18] Cheadle said he thought Iron Man was a robot before the first film came out.[13] On how he approached his character, Cheadle stated "I go, what's the common denominator here? And the common denominator was really his friendship with Tony, and that's what we really tried to track in this one. How is their friendship impacted once Tony comes out and owns 'I am Iron Man'?".[19] Cheadle said his suit was 50 pounds (23 kg) of metal, and that he could not touch his face while wearing it.[20]

Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanoff:
An undercover spy for S.H.I.E.L.D. posing as Stark's new assistant. Johansson dyed her hair red before she landed the part, hoping that it would help convince Favreau that she was right for the role.[21] On why she chose the role, Johansson said, "the Black Widow character resonated with me... [She] is a superhero, but she’s also human. She’s small, but she’s strong... She is dark and has faced death so many times that she has a deep perspective on the value of life... It’s hard not to admire her."[22] She stated that she had "a bit of a freak-out moment" when she first saw the cat-suit.[23] When asked about fighting in the costume, Johansson responded "a big part of me is like 'can I move in this? Can I run in it? Can I like throw myself over things with this?' And I think just the prep, you just have to put in the hours. That's what I realized is that just putting in the hours and doing the training and repetition and basically just befriending the stunt team and spending all day, every day, just over and over and over and over until you sell it."[23]

Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer:
A rival weapons manufacturer. Sam Rockwell was considered for the role of Tony Stark in the first film, and he accepted the role of Hammer without reading the script.[24] He had never heard of the character before he was contacted about the part, and was unaware Hammer is an old Englishman in the comics.[25] Rockwell said, "I worked with Jon Favreau on this film called Made. And Justin Theroux, who wrote the script, is an old friend of mine, they sort of cooked up this idea and pitched it to Kevin Feige. What they did, they were maybe going to do one villain like they did with Jeff Bridges, but then they decided to split the villains. And really Mickey [Rourke] is the main [villain], but I come to his aid."[26] Rockwell described his character as "plucky comic relief, but he's got a little bit of an edge".[27]

Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko:
A Russian physicist and ex-convict who builds his own arc reactor-based weapon to exact vengeance on the Stark family.[28] The character is an amalgam of Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo. Rourke visited Butyrka prison to research the role,[29] and he suggested half of the character's dialogue be in Russian.[30] He also suggested the addition of tattoos, gold teeth and a fondness for a pet cockatoo, paying for the teeth and bird with his own money.[31] Rourke explained that he did not want to play a "one-dimensional bad guy", and wanted to challenge the audience to see something redeemable in him.[13] Not knowing anything about computers, Rourke described pretending to be tech-savvy as the hardest part of the role.[32]

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury:
Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.; Jackson signed a nine-film contract to play the character.[33] On the subject of his character not seeing any action in the film, Jackson said "We still haven't moved Nick Fury into the bad-ass zone. He's still just kind of a talker."[34]

text: The director, Jon Favreau, reprises his role as Happy Hogan,[35] Tony Stark's bodyguard and chauffeur, while Clark Gregg and Leslie Bibb reprise their roles as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson[36] and reporter Christine Everhart,[37] respectively. John Slattery appears as Tony's father Howard Stark[38] and Garry Shandling appears as United States Senator Stern, who wants Stark to give Iron Man's armor to the government.[39] Favreau stated that Shandling's character was named after radio personality Howard Stern.[40] Paul Bettany again voices Stark's computer, J.A.R.V.I.S.[41] Olivia Munn has a small role as Chess Roberts, a reporter covering the Stark expo,[42][43] Kate Mara portrays a U.S. Marshal who summons Tony to the government hearing,[44] and Stan Lee appears as himself (but is mistaken for Larry King).[45]

text: Additionally, news anchor Christiane Amanpour[46] and political commentator Bill O'Reilly[47] play themselves in newscasts. Adam Goldstein appears as himself and the film is dedicated to his memory.[48] Further cameos include Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk and Oracle Corporation CEO Larry Ellison.[49] Favreau's son Max appears as a child wearing an Iron Man mask who Stark saves from a drone. This was retroactively made the introduction of a young Peter Parker to the MCU, as confirmed in June 2017 by eventual Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, Feige and Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts.[50][51]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: Jon Favreau said it was originally his intent to create a film trilogy for Iron Man,[52] with Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) becoming Iron Monger during the sequels. After a meeting between Favreau and various comic book writers, including Mark Millar, Stane became the main villain in Iron Man. Millar argued the Mandarin, whom Favreau originally intended to fill that role, was too fantastical.[53] Favreau concurred, deciding, "I look at Mandarin more like how in Star Wars you had the Emperor, but Darth Vader is the guy you want to see fight. Then you work your way to the time when lightning bolts are shooting out of the fingers and all that stuff could happen. But you can't have what happened in Return of the Jedi happen in A New Hope. You just can't do it."[54] Favreau also discussed in interviews how the films' version of Mandarin "allows us to incorporate the whole pantheon of villains". He mentioned that S.H.I.E.L.D. will continue to have a major role.[55]

text: During development, Favreau said the film would explore Stark's alcoholism, but it would not be "the 'Demon in a Bottle' version".[55] While promoting the first film, Downey stated that Stark would probably develop a drinking problem as he is unable to cope with his age, the effects of revealing he is Iron Man, and Pepper getting a boyfriend.[56] Downey later clarified that the film was not a strict adaptation of the "Demon in a Bottle" storyline from the comic book series, but was instead about the "interim space" between the origin and the "Demon" story arc.[57] Shane Black gave some advice on the script, and suggested to Favreau and Downey that they model Stark on J. Robert Oppenheimer, who became depressed with being "the destroyer of worlds" after working on the Manhattan Project.[56]

text: Pre-production[edit]

text: Immediately following Iron Man's release, Marvel Studios announced that they were developing a sequel, with an intended release date of April 30, 2010.[58] In July 2008, after several months of negotiating, Favreau officially signed on to direct.[59] That same month Justin Theroux signed to write the script, which would be based on a story written by Favreau and Downey.[60] Theroux co-wrote Tropic Thunder, which Downey had starred in, and Downey recommended him to Marvel.[61] Genndy Tartakovsky storyboarded the film,[62] and Adi Granov returned to supervise the designs for Iron Man's armor.[55]

text: In October 2008, Marvel Studios came to an agreement to film Iron Man 2, as well as their next three films, at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach, California.[63] A few days later, Don Cheadle was hired to replace Terrence Howard.[16] On being replaced, Howard stated, "There was no explanation, apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on sometimes. Promises aren't kept, and good faith negotiations aren't always held up."[64] Entertainment Weekly stated Favreau did not enjoy working with Howard, often re-shooting and cutting his scenes; Howard's publicist said he had a good experience playing the part, while Marvel chose not to comment. As Favreau and Theroux chose to reduce the role, Marvel came to Howard to discuss lowering his salary – Howard was the first actor hired in Iron Man and was paid the largest salary. The publication stated they were unsure whether Howard's representatives left the project first or if Marvel chose to stop negotiating.[65] Theroux denied the part of the report which claimed the size of the role had fluctuated.[61] In November 2013, Howard stated that, going into the film, the studio offered him far less than was in his three-picture contract, claiming they told him the second will be successful, "with or without you," and, without mentioning him by name, said Downey "took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out."[66]

text: In January 2009, Rourke and Rockwell entered negotiations to play a pair of villains.[67] A few days later, Rockwell confirmed he would take the role, and that his character would be Justin Hammer.[24] Paul Bettany confirmed that he would be returning to voice J.A.R.V.I.S.[41] Marvel entered into early talks with Emily Blunt to play the Black Widow,[68] though she was unable to take the role due to a previous commitment to star in Gulliver's Travels.[69] Samuel L. Jackson confirmed that he had been in discussions to reprise the role of Nick Fury from the first film's post-credits scene, but that contract disputes were making a deal difficult. Jackson claimed that "There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don't know. Maybe I won't be Nick Fury."[70]

text: In February, Jackson and Marvel came to terms, and he was signed to play the character in up to nine films.[33] Downey and Rourke discussed his part during a roundtable discussion with David Ansen at the 2009 Golden Globes, and Rourke met with Favreau and Theroux to discuss the role. Rourke almost dropped out due to Marvel's initial salary offer of $250,000, but the studio raised the offer, and in March Rourke signed on.[71] Later that same day Scarlett Johansson signed on to play the Black Widow. Her deal included options for multiple films, including potentially The Avengers.[72] In April, Garry Shandling,[39] Clark Gregg,[36] and Kate Mara[36] joined the cast.

text: Filming[edit]

text:
"This is one of the richest men in the world, so we can't buy our practicals from Home Depot. Everything had to be intelligent technology, and it had to look classic enough to have some shelf life – we didn't want it to look embarrassingly dated 10 years from now."

Matthew Libatique, the film's cinematographer[73]

tag: div

text: Principal photography began April 6, 2009,[74] at the Pasadena Masonic Temple,[75] with the working title Rasputin.[76] The bulk of the production took place at Raleigh Studios,[73] though other locations were also used. Scenes were filmed at Edwards Air Force Base from May 11 through May 13. The location had also been used for Iron Man, and Favreau stated that he felt the "real military assets make the movie more authentic and the topography and the beauty of the desert and flightline open the movie up".[77] The Historic Grand Prix of Monaco action sequence was shot in the parking lot of Downey Studios, with sets constructed in May[78] and filming lasting through June.[79] Permission to film in Monaco prior to the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix had initially been awarded, but was later retracted by Bernie Ecclestone. The filmmakers shipped one Rolls-Royce Phantom there, and filmed a track sequence in which race cars were later digitally added. Tanner Foust took on the role of driving Stark's racing car.[80] Also in June, it was reported that John Slattery had joined the film's cast as Howard Stark.[38] Olivia Munn was also cast, in an unspecified role.[81]

text: A massive green screen was constructed at the Sepulveda Dam to film a portion of the Stark Expo exterior, with the rest either shot at an area high school or added digitally. To construct the green screen, hundreds of shipping containers were stacked, covered in plywood and plaster, and then painted green.[73] For the conclusion of that climactic scene, which the crew dubbed the "Japanese Garden" scene, a set was built inside Sony Studios in Los Angeles.[73] Filming lasted 71 days, and the film's production officially wrapped on July 18, 2009.[74] A post-credits scene depicting the discovery of a large hammer was filmed on the set of Thor, and some of it was reused in the film.[48] Jon Favreau revealed that the scene was filmed with anamorphic lenses to match Thor,[48] and was directed by Kenneth Branagh, the director of Thor.[82]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: In January 2010, IMAX Corporation, Marvel, and Paramount announced that the film would receive a limited release on digital IMAX screens.[83] It was not shot with IMAX cameras, so it was converted into the format using the IMAX DMR technology.[62][83] The film underwent reshoots in February.[84] Olivia Munn's original role was cut, but she was given a new role during the reshoots.[43]

text: Janek Sirrs was the film's visual effects supervisor,[85] and Industrial Light & Magic again did the majority of the effects, as it did on the first film.[86] ILM's visual effects supervisor on the film, Ben Snow, said their work on the film was "harder" than their work on the first, stating that Favreau asked more of them this time around. Snow described the process of digitally creating the suits:

text: On the first Iron Man, we tried to use the Legacy [Studios, Stan Winston's effects company] and Stan Winston suits as much as we could. For the second one, Jon [Favreau] was confident we could create the CG suits, and the action dictated using them. So, Legacy created what we called the "football suits" from the torso up with a chest plate and helmet. We'd usually put in some arm pieces, but not the whole arm. In the house fight sequence, where Robert Downey Jr. staggers around tipsy, we used some of the practical suit and extended it digitally. Same thing in the Randy's Donuts scene. But in the rest of the film, we used the CG suit entirely. And Double Negative did an all-digital suit for the Monaco chase.[86]

text: ILM created 527 shots for the film, using programs such as Maya.[87] Perception worked on over 125 shots for the film.[88] They crafted gadgets, such as Tony Stark's transparent LG smartphone,[89] and created the backdrops for the Stark Expo as well as the computer screen interfaces on the touch-screen coffee table and the holographic lab environment.[88] In total, 11 visual effect studios worked on the film.[85]

text: Music[edit]

text: A soundtrack album featuring AC/DC was released by Columbia Records on April 19, 2010,[90] in at least three different versions: basic, special and deluxe. The basic edition includes the CD; the special edition contains a 15-track CD, a 32-page booklet and a DVD featuring interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and music videos; and the deluxe includes a reproduction of one of Iron Man's first comic book appearances. Only 2 songs on the soundtrack actually appear in the movie. Although not included on the soundtrack album the film includes songs by The Average White Band, The Clash, Queen, Daft Punk, 2Pac and Beastie Boys.[91]

text: The film score was released commercially as Iron Man 2: Original Motion Picture Score on July 20, 2010, featuring 25 tracks. John Debney composed the score with Tom Morello.[92]

text: Release[edit]

text: Iron Man 2 premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California on April 26, 2010,[93] and was released in 6,764 theaters (48 IMAX) across 54 countries between April 28 and May 7,[94][6][95] before going into general release in the United States on May 7, 2010.[94] In the United States, it opened at 4,380 theaters, 181 of which were IMAX.[96] The international release date of the film was moved forward to increase interest ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup association football tournament.[97]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: At the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, a five-minute trailer for the movie was shown. Actors portraying Stark Industries recruiters handed out business cards with an invitation to apply.[98] A website for Stark Industries went online, with an attached graphic of a "napkin memo" from Stark to Potts announcing that Stark Industries no longer made weapons. Another section featured an online application.[99] It was confirmed that the first theatrical trailer would premiere in front of Sherlock Holmes (another Robert Downey, Jr. film). This trailer was released online on December 16, 2009. A new trailer was shown by Robert Downey, Jr. on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 7 after the Academy Awards.[100] Promotional partners included Symantec, Dr Pepper, Burger King, 7 Eleven, Audi, LG Electronics[101] and Hershey.[102]

text: Author Alexander C. Irvine adapted the script into a novel, also titled Iron Man 2, that was released in April 2010.[103] Prior to the film release, Marvel Comics released a four issue miniseries comic book titled Iron Man vs Whiplash, which introduced the film's version of Whiplash into the Marvel Universe.[104] A three issue prequel miniseries titled Iron Man 2: Public Identity was released in April.[105][106][107]

text: An Iron Man 2 video game was released by Sega on May 4, 2010 in North America,[108] written by The Invincible Iron Man scribe Matt Fraction.[109] The Wii version was developed by High Voltage Software and all console versions were published by Sega,[110] while Gameloft published the mobile game.[111] The game's Comic-Con trailer showed that the Crimson Dynamo was set to appear as a villain. Cheadle and Jackson voice their respective characters in the games.[112] The trailer revealed that A.I.M, Roxxon Energy Corporation, and Ultimo (depicted as a man named Kearson DeWitt in a large armor) are enemies in the game as well as reveal that the wearer of the Crimson Dynamo armor is General Valentin Shatalov.[113] The game received generally unfavorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 41% for both the PS3[114] and Xbox 360[115] versions.

text: Home media[edit]

text: On September 28, 2010, the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.[116] The film was also collected in a 10-disc box set titled "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled" which includes all of the Phase One films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[117] It was released on April 2, 2013.[118][119]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Iron Man 2 earned $312.4 million in the United States and Canada, as well as $311.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $623.9 million.[6] Since the film was included in a predetermined legacy distribution deal that was signed before the Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel, Paramount Pictures distributed the film and collected 8% of the box office, while the remaining portion went to Disney.[5][120]

text: Iron Man 2 earned $51 million on its opening day in the United States and Canada (including $7.5 million from Thursday previews),[121] for a total weekend gross of $128 million, which was the fifth-highest opening weekend ever, at the time, behind The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 3, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It also had the highest opening for a 2010 movie.[96] The film yielded an average of $29,252 per theater.[121] IMAX contributed $9.8 million, which was the highest opening weekend for a 2D IMAX film, surpassing Star Trek's previous record of $8.5 million.[96] Iron Man 2 was the third-highest-grossing film of 2010 in the United States and Canada, behind Toy Story 3 and Alice in Wonderland.[122]

text: Iron Man 2 launched in six European markets with number-one openings on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, for a total $2.2 million.[123] It earned $100.2 million its first five days from 53 foreign markets for a strong average of $14,814 per site.[6] IMAX Corporation reported grosses of $2.25 million. This surpassed the previous record-holder for an IMAX 2D release, 2009's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($2.1 million).[95] It was the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2010 internationally, behind Toy Story 3, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Inception, Shrek Forever After, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[124]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 73% approval rating with an average rating of 6.5/10 based on 278 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "It isn't quite the breath of fresh air that Iron Man was, but this sequel comes close with solid performances and an action-packed plot."[125] Metacritic gave the film 57/100 based on a normalized rating of 40 reviews.[126]

text: Brian Lowry of Variety stated, "Iron Man 2 isn't as much fun as its predecessor, but by the time the smoke clears, it'll do".[47] Anthony Lane of The New Yorker said, "To find a comic-book hero who doesn't agonize over his supergifts, and would defend his constitutional right to get a kick out of them, is frankly a relief".[127] David Edelstein of New York Magazine wrote, "It doesn't come close to the emotional heft of those two rare 2s that outclassed their ones: Superman II and Spider-Man 2. But Iron Man 2 hums along quite nicely".[128] Roger Ebert gave it 3 stars out of 4, stating that "Iron Man 2 is a polished, high-octane sequel, not as good as the original but building once again on a quirky performance by Robert Downey Jr".[129] Frank Lovece of Film Journal International, a one-time Marvel Comics writer, said that, "In a refreshing and unexpected turn, the sequel to Iron Man doesn't find a changed man. Inside the metal, imperfect humanity grows even more so, as thought-provoking questions of identity meet techno-fantasy made flesh."[130]

text: Conversely, Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter stated, "Everything fun and terrific about Iron Man, a mere two years ago, has vanished with its sequel. In its place, Iron Man 2 has substituted noise, confusion, multiple villains, irrelevant stunts and misguided story lines."[131]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Winner/Nominee
Result
Ref.

2010
Hollywood Film Award
Visual Effects of the Year
Iron Man 2
Won
[132]

Satellite Awards
Best Sound (Mixing & Editing)
Iron Man 2
Nominated
[133]

Best Visual Effects
Iron Man 2
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards
Choice Movie: Sci-Fi
Iron Man 2
Nominated
[134]

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi
Robert Downey Jr.
Nominated

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi
Gwyneth Paltrow
Nominated

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi
Scarlett Johansson
Nominated

Choice Movie: Villain
Mickey Rourke
Nominated

Choice Movie: Dance
Robert Downey Jr.
Nominated

Choice Movie: Fight
Don Cheadle and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man & War Machine vs The Hammer Drones)
Nominated

2011
People's Choice Awards
Favorite Action Movie
Iron Man 2
Won
[135]

Favorite Movie
Iron Man 2
Nominated

Favorite Movie Actor
Robert Downey Jr.
Nominated

Favorite Action Star
Robert Downey Jr.
Nominated

Favorite On-Screen Team
Robert Downey, Jr. and Don Cheadle
Nominated

Academy Awards
Best Visual Effects
Iron Man 2
Nominated
[136]

Saturn Awards
Best Science Fiction Film
Iron Man 2
Nominated
[137]

Best Actor
Robert Downey Jr.
Nominated

Best Supporting Actress
Scarlett Johansson
Nominated

Best Special Effects
Iron Man 2
Nominated

text: Sequel[edit]

text: After the release of Iron Man 2, The Walt Disney Studios agreed to pay Paramount at least $115 million for the worldwide distribution rights to Iron Man 3 and The Avengers.[138] Disney, Marvel and Paramount announced a May 3, 2013 release date for Iron Man 3.[139] Shane Black directed Iron Man 3,[140] from a screenplay by Drew Pearce.[141] Downey, Paltrow, Cheadle, and Favreau reprised their roles, while Ben Kingsley[142] played Trevor Slattery,[143] Guy Pearce played Aldrich Killian,[144] and Rebecca Hall[145] played Maya Hansen.[146]


document_title: Wild Wild West

question_text: who played ulysses s grant in wild wild west

text: Wild Wild West

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1869, 4 years after the end of the American Civil War, U.S. Army Captain James West (Will Smith) and U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline) hunt for Confederate General "Bloodbath" McGrath (Ted Levine), who is wanted for mass murder, throughout the Southern United States. This is due to McGrath ordering a massacre in a settlement called New Liberty, where many of the freed slaves were murdered, including West's biological parents. The search leads to a brothel where the two try (unsuccessfully) to arrest him. It leads to a huge brawl and a cart of nitroglycerin crashing into the building, starting a fire. Both West and Gordon—Gordon dressed as a woman—escape. Later, in Washington, D.C., West and Gordon meet at the White House with President Ulysses S. Grant (Kevin Kline), who tells them about the disappearance of America's key scientists and a treasonous plot by General "Bloodbath" McGrath. Grant charges the two with finding the scientists before he inaugurates the first transcontinental railroad at Promontory, Utah.

text: On board their train, Gordon examines the head of a murdered scientist, using a projection device to reveal the last thing the scientist saw. Finding McGrath and a clue in the image, they head to New Orleans, pursuing a lead about Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh), an ex-Confederate scientist in a steam-powered wheelchair, who is hosting a party for the elite of Southern society. West mistakes a female guest for a disguised Gordon and makes an error that results in the guests wanting to lynch West. Meanwhile, Gordon roams the mansion and comes across a caged Rita Escobar (Salma Hayek), rescuing her. Gordon frees West from the lynching with an elastic rope, and the three escape to their train The Wanderer. On board, Rita asks for their help in rescuing her father, one of the kidnapped scientists, Professor Escobar.

text: Later, Loveless hosts a reception to demonstrate his newest weapon: a steam-powered tank. The tank uses General McGrath's soldiers as target practice, which angers McGrath. When McGrath demands an explanation, Loveless accuses him of "betrayal" for surrendering at Appomattox, then shoots McGrath and leaves him for dead. As Loveless and his troops head over to Utah, Gordon, West and Rita find the dying McGrath, who reveals that he was framed by Loveless for the massacre of New Liberty, explaining that Loveless used the tank to kill the people there. The three then pursue Loveless on The Wanderer, but having expected their arrival and using steam-powered hydraulics, Loveless maneuvers his train behind The Wanderer. West manages to disable Loveless's train, but not before Loveless uses a cannon-launched grappling hook to stop The Wanderer. Rita, afraid of being recaptured by Loveless, grabs one of Gordon's explosive rigged pool balls and accidentally releases sleeping gas that knocks out West, Gordon, and herself.

text: West and Gordon wake up as Loveless and his posse pull away in The Wanderer taking Rita hostage, announcing that he intends to capture President Grant at the "golden spike" ceremony and also that West and Gordon will be killed should they step outside of the trap they are in. Escaping the trap, the two stumble across Loveless's private rail line, which leads them to his industrial complex, hidden in Spider Canyon. Here, they witness Loveless's ultimate weapon: a gigantic mechanical spider armed with two nitroglycerin cannons. Loveless uses the spider to capture President Grant and Gordon at the ceremony at Promontory Point, while West is seemingly shot by one of Loveless's bodyguards.

text: At his industrial complex, Loveless reveals his plan: to destroy the United States with his mechanized forces unless President Grant agrees to divide the states among Great Britain, France, Spain, Mexico, the Native American people, and himself. When Grant refuses to surrender, Loveless orders Gordon to be shot. However, West, who had survived thanks to a chain mail vest Gordon gave him, disguises himself and manages to distract Loveless, allowing Gordon to free the captives. Unfortunately, Loveless escapes on his spider in the ensuing battle, taking the President with him.

text: To save the President, Gordon and West build a flying machine to overtake the spider as Loveless attacks a small town in an attempt to force Grant to sign the surrender. Gordon and West crash onto the spider, but manage to grab on the beam before they can fall and Munitia, one of Loveless's henchwomen, falls to her death after the collision. After West defeats the henchmen below, throwing one off the spider after tying him to a chain, a fight ensues between him and Loveless, now on mechanical legs. Gordon shoots a hole in Loveless's hydraulic line, allowing West to gain the upper hand. This allows Gordon and Grant to defeat Loveless's guards, and pleading for his life, Loveless drags himself back to his wheelchair as the spider approaches a cliff. Loveless attempts to shoot West with a concealed gun, but hits the spider's steam pipes, stopping it just before it plunges into the canyon. The abrupt stop leaves West and Loveless hanging precariously from the spider. Loveless tries to decide whether he should pull the chair's lever that will release them or not, knowing it will send both him and West to their deaths if he does so. Loveless taunts West so much that West pulls the lever himself and survives by grabbing the ankles of the henchman he threw out earlier, while Loveless falls to his death.

text: Grant promotes Gordon and West as Agent #1 and Agent #2 of his new U.S. Secret Service. Gordon asks which of them is 1 and 2, but the President brushes off the question as unimportant and tells them they will have plenty of time to talk about on the way back, as he takes "The Wanderer". Gordon and West meet Rita again, both planning to court her, but she crushes their hopes, announcing that Professor Escobar is actually her husband.

text: Gordon and West ride through the desert together. Gordon asks West "Mind if I ask you a question?" West replies "Actually, I do, Artie." The camera pans out to show they are actually riding the mechanical spider.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Will Smith as Captain James T. West
Kevin Kline as U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon / President Ulysses S. Grant
Kenneth Branagh as Dr. Arliss Loveless
Salma Hayek as Rita Escobar
M. Emmet Walsh as Coleman
Bai Ling as Miss East
Ted Levine as General "Bloodbath" McGrath
Frederique van der Wal as Amazonia
Musetta Vander as Munitia
Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon as Belle

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: In January 1992, Variety reported that Warner Bros. was planning a theatrical version of The Wild Wild West directed by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and starring Mel Gibson as James West (Donner directed three episodes of the original series). Donner and Gibson instead made a theatrical version of TV's Maverick in 1994. The Wild Wild West motion picture continued in the development stage, with Tom Cruise rumored for the lead in 1995. Cruise instead revived Mission: Impossible the following year.[3]

text: Discussions with Will Smith and director Barry Sonnenfeld began in February 1997.[4] Warner Bros. pursued George Clooney to co-star as Artemus Gordon, with Kevin Kline, Matthew McConaughey and Johnny Depp also in contention for the role while Steve Wilson and Brent Maddock were rewriting the script between April and May 1997.[5] Clooney signed on the following August, dropping out of Jack Frost, and writers Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman were brought aboard for a rewrite. Filming was expected to begin in January 1998,[6] but was pushed to April 22, 1998.[7] Clooney dropped out, citing an agreement with Sonnenfeld: "Ultimately, we all decided that rather than damage this project trying to retrofit the role for me, it was better to step aside and let them get someone else."[8]

text: Changes from the television series[edit]

text: Significant changes were made to Dr. Loveless as portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in the film. He went from a dwarf to a man without legs; his first name was also changed from Miguelito to Arliss and he was given the motive of a Southerner who sought the defeat of the North after the Civil War. Kevin Kline plays Gordon, whose character was similar to the version played by Ross Martin except that he was much more competitive with James West, besides being much more egotistical. The film script had Kline's Gordon invent more ridiculous, humor-related, and implausible contraptions than those created by Martin's Gordon in the television series. The film also depicted West and Gordon as aggressive rivals, whereas in the television series, West and Gordon had a very close friendship and trusted each other with their lives. Also, while Gordon did indeed impersonate Grant in the series ("The Night of the Steel Assassin", "The Night of the Colonel's Ghost" and "The Night of the Big Blackmail") they were not played by the same actor.[citation needed] Additionally, on the TV show, West was portrayed by Robert Conrad, a Caucasian, rather than an African American — which serves a critical plot point, as West's parents were among the victims of Loveless' massacre at New Liberty).

text: Jon Peters served as producer along with director Sonnenfeld. In a 2002 Q&A event that appears in An Evening with Kevin Smith, writer-director Kevin Smith talked about working with Peters on a fifth potential Superman film in 1997, revealing that Peters had three demands for the script. The first demand was that Superman not wear the suit, the second was that Superman not fly, and the third was to have Superman fight a giant spider in the third act.[9] After Tim Burton came on board, Smith's script was tossed away and the film was never produced due to further complications. A year later, he noted that Wild Wild West, with Peters on board as producer, was released with the inclusion of a giant mechanical spider in the final act.[10] Neil Gaiman has said that Jon Peters also insisted a giant mechanical spider be included in a film adaptation of The Sandman.[11]

text: Principal photography[edit]

text: Principal photography began in 1998. The sequences on both Artemus Gordon's and Dr. Loveless's trains interiors were shot on sets at Warner Bros. The train exteriors were shot in Idaho on the Camas Prairie Railroad. The Wanderer is portrayed by the Baltimore & Ohio 4-4-0 No. 25, one of the oldest operating steam locomotives in the U.S. Built in 1856 at the Mason Machine Works in Taunton, Massachusetts, it was later renamed The "William Mason" in honor of its manufacturer. During pre-production the engine was sent to the steam shops at the Strasburg Railroad for restoration and repainting. The locomotive is brought out for the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore's "Steam Days". The "William Mason" and the "Inyo", which was the locomotive used in the original television series, both appeared in the Disney film The Great Locomotive Chase (1956).

text: Much of the 'Wild West' footage was shot around Santa Fe, New Mexico, particularly at the western town set at the Cook Movie Ranch. During the shooting of a sequence involving stunts and pyrotechnics, a planned building fire grew out of control and quickly overwhelmed the local fire crews that were standing by. Much of the town was destroyed before the fire was contained.[12]

text: Controversy[edit]

text: In 1997, writer Gilbert Ralston sued Warner Bros. over the upcoming motion picture based on the series. Ralston helped create the original The Wild Wild West television series, and scripted the pilot episode, "The Night of the Inferno". In a deposition, Ralston explained that in 1964 he was approached by producer Michael Garrison who '"said he had an idea for a series, good commercial idea, and wanted to know if I could glue the idea of a western hero and a James Bond type together in the same show."[13] Ralston said he then created the Civil War characters, the format, the story outline and nine drafts of the script that was the basis for the television series. It was his idea, for example, to have a secret agent named Jim West who would perform secret missions for a bumbling Ulysses S. Grant.

text: Ralston's experience brought to light a common Hollywood practice of the 1950s and 1960s when television writers who helped create popular series allowed producers or studios to take credit for a show, thus cheating the writers out of millions of dollars in royalties. Ralston died in 1999, before his suit was settled. Warner Bros. ended up paying his family between $600,000 and $1.5 million.[14]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Wild Wild West received generally negative reviews from film critics, with a 17% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 4.1 out of 10, based on 130 reviews. The consensus states "Bombastic, manic, and largely laugh-free, Wild Wild West is a bizarre misfire in which greater care was lavished upon the special effects than on the script."[15] On Metacritic the film has a score of 38 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[16]

text: Janet Maslin of The New York Times stated in her review that the film "leaves reality so far behind that its storytelling would be arbitrary even by comic-book standards, and its characters share no common ground or emotional connection."[17]

text: On a $170 million budget, the film grossed $111.8 million domestically and $108.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $222.1 million. In its opening weekend the film grossed $27.7 million, finishing first at the box office.[2]

text: Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times awarded Wild Wild West with a one star rating and described it as "a comedy dead zone. You stare in disbelief as scenes flop and die. The movie is all concept and no content; the elaborate special effects are like watching money burn on the screen."[18]

text: Razzie Awards[edit]

text: Each award was "accepted" in person by Robert Conrad, who had portrayed Jim West in the original series and subsequent TV films. He accepted the awards to show his objections to the movie.[19]

text:
Award
Category
Subject
Result

Golden Raspberry Award
Worst Actor
Kevin Kline
Nominated

Worst Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh
Nominated

Worst Supporting Actress
Salma Hayek
Nominated

Kevin Kline (as a prostitute)
Nominated

Worst Screen Couple
Will Smith and Kevin Kline
Won

Worst Original Song ("Wild Wild West")
Will Smith
Won

Worst Screenplay
S. S. Wilson
Won

Brent Maddock
Won

Jeffrey Price
Peter S. Seaman
Won

Worst Director
Barry Sonnenfeld
Won

Worst Picture
Won

Jon Peters
Won

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on June 15, 1999, by Interscope Records. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

text: Score[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: The film's orchestral score including its main theme was composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein, a veteran of many straight western movie scores, such as The Magnificent Seven. The score mainly follows the western genre's symphonic tradition, while at times also acknowledging the film's anachronistic playfulness by employing a more contemporary music style with notable rock percussion and electronic organ. The score also briefly incorporates Richard Markowitz's theme from the television series in one cue, uncredited in the film (and not included on the album) – ironically, this was one of the few elements to be faithful to the original series, which also didn't credit Markowitz for the theme. Additional parts of the score were composed by Elmer Bernstein's son, Peter, and daughter, Emilie, served as one of the orchestrators and producers. Thirty minutes of the film's orchestral music were released on CD from Varèse Sarabande in 1999. Elmer Bernstein won an ASCAP Award in the category Top Box Office Films.

text:
"Main Title" – 3:00
"West Fights" – 1:14
"Dismissal" – 2:13
"East Meets West" – 1:15
"Of Rita, Rescue and Revenge" – 5:43
"Trains, Tanks and Frayed Ropes" (Composed by Peter Bernstein) – 4:03
"The Cornfield" – 1:09
"Loveless' Plan" – 4:45
"Goodbye Loveless" (Composed by Peter Bernstein) – 4:33
"Ride the Spider" – 2:14

text: Songs[edit]

text: Like most of Smith's films during this period, a hip hop single by the rapper/actor, called "Wild Wild West", served as the promotional theme song for the film. Wild Wild West was a #1 hit on the U.S. pop charts, but also won a Razzie Award. It was produced by Rob Fusari, who lifted a sample from Stevie Wonder's 1976 hit "I Wish". The song features guest vocals from R&B group Dru Hill, and was a star-making vehicle for Dru Hill lead singer Sisqó. Old school rapper Kool Moe Dee had recorded a Wild Wild West single of his own in 1987, and re-performs the chorus from his old Wild Wild West as the chorus of this new Wild Wild West. (A performance of the song by Smith, Dee, Dru Hill and Sisqo at the 1999 MTV Movie Awards included Wonder performing a reprise of the chorus on piano.[20])

text: The song "Bailamos", sung by Enrique Iglesias, is also heard during the film's end titles. The music videos for both end title songs are featured on the DVD.

text: Several songs not heard in the film itself are featured on the promotional CD album Wild Wild West: Music Inspired By The Motion Picture (released by Interscope Records on June 15, 1999). This includes the song "Bad Guys Always Die", recorded by Dr. Dre & Eminem. ("Wild Wild West" and "Bailamos" are the only songs on the album to be heard in the film).

text: Tie-in media[edit]

text: A video game was published in 1999 to tie in with the film's release, Wild Wild West: The Steel Assassin.